With school holidays starting on Friday, June 26, the Mpumalanga MEC for community safety, security and liaison, Jackie Macie, has issued an urgent call for road users, particularly men, to exercise extreme caution. The plea follows a data set recorded between April 1 and May 31, which indicates that 75 people lose their lives in road crashes across the province.

The statistics highlight a stark gender disparity, with 61 male fatalities compared to 14 female fatalities. A breakdown of the male victims revealed that 24 were drivers, 20 were pedestrians and 17 were passengers.

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Macie said these numbers paint a worrying picture regarding the conduct of male motorists. He noted that the majority of these crashes stemmed from human behavior, and were entirely avoidable.

“Men, as leaders of families, must set a good example and be advocates for safer driving,” Macie said. “They should help save lives on the road by obeying the rules, sticking to the applicable speed limits and not drinking and driving.”

With traffic volumes expected to surge as schools close on Friday, road users can expect increased visibility and zero-tolerance from local law enforcement. Macie said all major routes will be closely monitored, and active traffic management measures will be put in place to ensure compliance and safety.